Book-holder.



G. J. FLANAGAN.

BOOK HOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 31, 1910.

'1 ,021, 1 83. Patented Mar, 26, 1912.

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G. J. PLANAGAN,

BOOK HOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 31, 1910.

1,021,183. Patented Mar.26, 1912.

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COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH CO" WASHINGTON. D- C- GEORGE J. FLANAG-AN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BOOK-HOLDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 26, 1912.

Application filed August 31, 1910. Serial No. 579,950.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE J. FLANAGAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Book-Holders, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of devices for holding reference books, which is adapted to close with and upon them when not in use, but which opens with them and at such time acts as a convenient support and holder while the books are being consulted.

The handling of heavy reference books, such as dictionaries, is always laborious and attended with damage to the covers and bindings. And many 7 devices commonly called dictionary holders have been made which, while of utility and convenience, have failed in some respect of providing freedom from injury to the volumes carried when in continued use. This has been due to the weight of the books being unequally distributed, causing tearing or twisting action in the body thereof, and to friction between the supporting parts of the device and the outside of the bindings.

In my improved book holder, I provide a plurality of supports for the book covers and so control their relation to each other at all periods of their movement and when at rest that a book may rest upon them without friction and practically as a part thereof. The moving parts are adjustable to the size of the book to be carried and according to the relative range of movement desired. And the angle of the head itself may be adjusted in its relation to the supporting standard.

The principles of my invention are illus trated in the drawings, in which Figure 1 shows a front elevation of my improved book holder horizontally placed and partially open. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the device as shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is similar to Fig. 1, except that it shows the device adjusted for a larger book and fully open. Fig. 1 is an enlarged detail of a take-up device for the adjusting strips. Figs. 5 and 6 show details of a device for adjustably limiting the movement of the book supports, and Fig. 7 is a detail of a joint for adjusting the holder at any desired angle to the supporting standard or upright.

connection with the cross bar 9, and the 1 lower end of said connecting rod is attached to the arm 6 below its connection with the cross bar 9. A similar connecting link 12 has its ends pivoted in like manner to the arms 6 and 5 respectively above and below 1 their connection with the said cross arm'9. By this arrangement any movement of either of said arms is directly and positively communicated to the other arm to cause a reciprocal movement thereof. The i members 3 and 4 are provided with shoulders 13 adjacent to the points at which they are pivoted, and on the arms below them by the pivot screws 14 are attached the revoluble clips 15. are eccentrically placed so as to bring the edges a, 5, etc., in successive adjustable relation to the shoulder 13. Studs 16 are adapted to pass through the faces of the arms 5 and (Ho engage with depressions 17 in said clips and are held in relation thereto by the springs 18. suspending straps 20 have one end attached by the clips 21 to the underside of the cover support 1 and pass thence through openings in the downturned edges 22, 23 of the supports 1 and 2 to the shaft 24 which is journaled on the brackets 25 on the underside of the cover support 2. The said shaft 24 is provided with a key 25 and has a ratchet wheel 26 whose teeth are engaged by a suitable projection 27 on the spring actuated dog 28. It ,will be seen that by rotary movement of this shaft the suspending strips 21 may be adjusted to limit the amount of separation which may be given to the'cover holders and that the said strips also act as a support 01' sling upon which a book will rest, when the supports are closed, to include it between them.

In Fig. 7 is represented a side view of an adjustable supporting joint. The cross bar 9 is shown in cross section and the outer or face plate 30 of the joint is removed to show the disk 31 on the upward projection of The pivot points of the latter which 31 the cross bar is supported. The said disks or plates are arranged in pairs on each side of the middle piece 3A and are centrally secured together by the pivot bolt 32. The said central piece moves with the plates 31. It has the slot 35 over the bolt 32 which allows it to pass backward when pressed by the thumb-button 36 to force the dog 37 on the rear thereof from the ratchet notches 38 in the rear edge of the face plate 30. The whole head is kept normally in fixed position, with the dog in engagement with said notches, by the spring 39 pressing on the projection 49 on the rear ofv the push but-ton disk.

I claim:

1. In a book holder; the combination of a cross bar, book supporting arms pivoted midway of their length to the ends of the cross bars, and a plurality of links having their ends pivotally attached to the said arms respectively above and below their point of attachment to the cross bars.

2. In a book holder; the combination of a cross bar, book supporting arms pivoted midway of their length to the ends of the cross bars, a plurality of links having their ends pivotally attached to the said arms respectively above and below their point of attachment to the cross bars, book cover supports on the said arms, and flexible means for securing the book cover supports to each other.

3.In a book holder; the combination of a cross bar, book supporting arms pivoted midway of their length to the ends of the cross bars, a plurality of links having their ends pivotally attached to the said arms respectively above and below their point of attachment to the cross bars, book cover supports on the said arms, and flexible means for adjustably securing the book cover supports to each other.

4:. In a book holder the combination of cover supports, an equalizing device to connect said supports, flexible devices for adjustably limiting their outward movement,

and an adjustable stop to limit the angular movement of said supports.

, 5. In a book holder; the combination of a plurality of cover supports having downwardly turned adjacent edges, flexible slings to connect the said cover supports, and means for adjusting the length of said slings.

6. In a book holder; the combination of a plurality of cover supports having downwardly turned adjacent edges provided with perforations, flexible slings passed through said perforations, and means for adjusting the length of said slings.

7. In a book holder; the combination of a plurality of cover supports, a take-up shaft journaled on one of said supports and provided with locking means, and flexible slings having one end secured to the other book support and having the other end secured to said take-up shaft.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, this 29th day of August A. D. 1910, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE J. FLANAGAN. Witnesses:

W. A. SMILEY, A. S. PHILLIPS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, 

